National Chinese Language Conference 2009 was held grandly in Chicago from April 30th to May 2nd. President Yu Lizhong, director of our International Education Centre Zhao Zhongjian, dean of School of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language Wu Yongyi, and Chinese Director of Confucius Institute in New York Huang Liping all attended the conference.
This conference was held by The College Board, Asia Society and Chicago Public Schools. More than 900 representatives of various universities, high schools, and elementary schools in America all took part in it. Many officials presented here, too, including Governor of State of Utah, the coming American Ambassador in China, Jon M. Huntsman Jr., Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daley, director of Hanban Xu Lin, its vice director Zhao guocheng and Wang Yongli, Chinese Consul General in Chicago Huang Ping, chairman of the College Board Gaston Caperton, and President of Asia Society Vishakha N. Desaie. Yu Lizhong made a key-note speech titled “Localization Strategy of International Chinese Teacher Education”.
The theme of the conference was “Making Connections, Building Partnerships”. And ECNU has become a brand name for training teachers teaching Chinese in America. Many American schools intended to co-training teachers with our university, which was the highlight of the conference.
Yu Lizhong’s delegation was invited by The College Board and Asia Society.
